CO said:
The frustrating is actually Lucas has created this fan rift between which version you love more, where it never had to get like this.
Look at movies like Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Terminator 2, ET, The Abyss, Aliens, Bladerunner, etc, all have DVD and some BluRay releases with both versions. I have never argued or even cared which version another fan liked. I have never gotten offended that there are 5 versions of Bladerunner, and the one I love might not be the preferred one by the majority. If some fans prefers the ET/SE with walkie talkies instead of guns, so be it, I don't ever have to watch that version.
If Lucas had released both versions on DVD in 2004, and on BluRay in 2011, the fanbase wouldn't have silly arguments on Han Shooting first, or should Hayden in be in ROTJ Ghost Scene. I could watch the OOT, another fan could watch the SE, and we could live happily ever after.
I dont think it is sad, I think it is frustrating because this whole SE vs OOT is so unneccesary, and this could have been nipped in the bud years ago.
^ Excellent post. It's realizing truths like this that really makes one wonder why Lucas is so dead set against releasing both versions.
I'm starting to wonder just how aware he is of the divided fan base. Does anyone have any interviews wherein Lucas acknowledges the fans' desire to have the OOT? Is he completely oblivious to the demand, or just that entrenched in preserving his ego?